Rural Health Care

Rural hospitals provide essential health care services to nearly 51 million people. Because of their size, modest assets and financial reserves, and higher percentages of Medicare patients, small and rural hospitals disproportionately rely on government payments.

Medicare payment systems often fail to recognize the unique circumstances of small or rural hospitals. A sustained workforce shortage and rising health care liability premiums continue to drive costs higher. The average age of hospital facilities begs improvement and the demand for expensive new information systems climbs, yet access to capital financing is very limited.

With the continuing search by Congress for savings to offset spending, small and rural health care providers are in continual jeopardy of further cuts.